Projectile fuse



Sept 17, 1957 A. HAGER PROJECTILE FUSE Filed June 22. 1953 /M/f/vrm: 4l/guar HAGE/7 .lul L 4 i.

United State PROJECTILE FUSE August Hager, Zurich. Switzerland, assigner to Machine Tool Works Oerlikon, Administration Company, Zurich-Oerlikon, Switzerland, a company under Swiss laws This invention relates to point-detonating fuses for rotating projectiles. More particularly, the invention relates to a fuse in which a tiring pin is normally locked in an unarmed position by a plastically deformable member, and in which furthermore an inertia body upon the ring of the projectile is forced against this member to unlock the firing pin.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a projectile fuse of the type referred to, which is simple in construction and requires comparatively little space.

It is another object of the invention to provide a projectile fuse of the type referred to, in which the tolerances of the dimensions of the various components are cornpensated without requiring an additional compensating member.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a plastically deformable member of such type that the effort on deforming the member as a function of the displacement of said inertia body is selective within wide limits.

These and other objects and features of the present invention will become clearly apparent from the following detailed description of an embodiment thereof given by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: l

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of a projectile fuse according to the invention, in the transport position, and

Fig. 2 is a corresponding section in the detonating position.

Referring to Figs. l and 2, in the forward portion of the fuse head 1 an inertia body 2 is housed. The fuse head 1 is closed on top by a membrane 3. In the enlarged rear portion of the inertia body 2 a bore is provided in which a shock safety element in the shape of a helically wound wire 4 is arranged. The latter abuts on the one hand against the inertia body 2, and on the other hand against the end of the detonator pin 5 which extends into the said bore of the inertia body Z. A helical compression spring 6 is arranged around the enlarged portion of the inertia body 2 and abuts on the one hand on a shoulder of the said fuse head 1, and on the other hand on a guide bushing 7 which rests on a collar 5a of the said detonator pin 5.

On the middle portion of the said detonator pin 5 two centrifugal bodies 9 are articulated by means of tiltably pivoted forks 8, which bodies 9 rest in the transport position on the chamfered edge of a sleeve 10 which is heid with its collar 10a between a shoulder of the said fuse head 1 and the edge of a rotor casing 11 which is screwed into the said fuse head 1. This rotor casing 11 contains a rotatably journalled rotor 12 of symmetrical construction. This rotor has in its axis of symmetry a bore 12a which goes right through and which contains in a restricted portion a detonator cap 13. The said axis of symmetry of the rotor 12 includes in the transport position an angle with the longitudinal axis of the fuse (Fig. 1) the shoulder Sb of the detonator pin 5 abutting on CIT A at@ 2,806,427

Patented Sept. 17, 1957 a milled fiat 12b of the rotor 12. The point of the detonator pin 5 engages in this position of the rotor into a slot 12C thereof which is transverse to the axis of symmetry of the said rotor 12. In its rear portion the said rotor casing 11 has a tapped bore 11a into which a reinforcing charge 14 is screwed. A bore 11b connects the space containing the rotor 12 to the bore 11a of the rotor casing 11.

The manner of operation of this embodiment of the fuse according to the invention is briefly as follows:

When the fuse, in transport, is allowed to drop on its point, the membrane 3 is pierced and the inertia body 2 compresses the shock safety element 4 untii the said body abuts on the guide bushing 7. Since the detonator pin 5 is, however, locked in the downward direction by its shoulder 5b abutting on the flat 12b of the rotor body 12, no priming can take place. The fuse is accordingly secure against detonation by being dropped in transport.

Under the action of the shock occurring when the projectile is fired, the inertia body 2 compresses the `shock safety element 4 owing to its inertia (Fig. 2). The centrifugal bodies 9 are driven outwards along the chamfered edge of the sleeve 10, owing to the rotation of the projectile when red. The forks 8 of the centrifugal bodies 9, being articulated to the detonator pin 5, carry the latter along in the forward direction against the action of the compression spring 6, whereby the shoulder 5b of the detonator pin is lifted off the at 12b of the rotor body 12. Thereby the latter is set free to right itself up into the position shown in Fig. 2 in which its axis of symmetry coincides with the longitudinal axis of the fuse, and its bore 12a which contains the detonator cap 13 registers with the detonator pin 5 and with the bore 11b of the rotor casing.

When now the projectile hits a solid body, the inertia body 2 and consequently also the detonator pin 5 are thrown back, whereby its point penetrates into the detonator cap 13 and primes the same (Fig. 2). The detonation of the cap 13 propagates itself through the bore 11b to the reinforcing charge 14, whereby the projectile as a whole is exploded.

When the projectile does not meet with a solid resistance after a predetermined period, the speed -of rotation thereof eventually diminishes so far that the force applied by the compression spring 6 on the detonator pin 5 overrides the component of the centrifugal force of the bodies 9 which pulls the said pin 5 forward. The centrifugal bodies 9 accordingly slide inwards along the chamfered edge of the sleeve 16, whereby the detonator pin 5 is set free and is driven with its point into the detonator cap 13 -by the action of the compression spring 6, and the projectile is also exploded.

What I claim is:

In a point impact detonating fuse for a rotary projectile, a fuse head, a tiring member located within said fuse head in alignment with the axis of rotation of said rotary projectile and movable along said axis, said tiring member having a firing pin at one end thereof and a guide pin at the opposite end thereof, supporting means for said liring member, resilient means resiliently pressing said ring member in t-he axial direction opposed to the direction of flight of. the projectile against said supporting means when the ring member is in its inoperative position, centrifugal members 'connected with said firing member for movling said firing member during flight from its inoperative to its operative position, an inertia body located within the fuse head and movable axially thereof, the inertia body engaging the fuse head in its inoperative, unarmed position, and a coiled wire plastically deformable in the direction of its axis, relatively inelastic compared to the resilient means, positioned within the inertia body A t Y, 3 withI the ends of the wire respectively engaging the inertia body and the guide pin, the parts being so constructed and arranged that said firing member is prevented from being moved by said centrifugal bodies in the direction of flight into its armed: position nntil. said yvire lislenipressedgvby Daviesv May 6, 1-919 Rockwell Oct. 26, 19,20

Nichols Oct. 7, 1947 Apotheloz J'une 9, 1953V FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Jan. 5, 1940 Belgium Dec. 31, 1951 Belgium July 31, 1952 *ALAI 

